Unspayed female/neutered male

[butters]

Hi!

I adopted a bun named Butters a year ago. We rescued her and she was estimated to be about 8 years old, not spayed. We adore her and want the best for her. I’ve researched for so many hours the differing opinions of rabbits needing to be bonded, but also needing to be fixed in order to be bonded. Obviously, with her age, Butters can’t be spayed. We have been thinking about getting a neutered male for her for quite some time and one just popped up at our local humane society. We have gone back on the pros and cons and I truly don’t know what the right thing to do is. I don’t want her to be lonely and bored but also don’t want her to be unhappy if we attempt bonding and it doesn’t work. Age is also a concern and we’re not sure if we should bond her due to her older age either. Any thoughts or advice? We would appreciate it so much. Thank you for your time.

[DanaNM]

I think it could work, depending on the rabbits. It used to be more common for females to be unspayed. It certainly makes things easier and more likely to work, but there are cases where it works out, especially when the female is old enough. If the male was calm around other bunnies and she was as well, then it could be successful. Would the humane society let you bring her in for a speed date? Or potentially do a foster-to-adopt situation with the male?

I think in this case especially you would just want to have a back up plan in case the bond doesn’t work out (or appears to work, but then fails down the line). Would you be ready to keep both buns separately or rehome one if that was the case?

If she is in good health, I don’t think she is too old to be bonded, but you would just want to keep a close eye on her health during the process. Bonding in itself is stressful and can be hard on bunnies, so with seniors you really need to go at their pace and not force anything.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Author]

Messages